The Disp Method for Analysing Large Zenith Angle Gamma-Ray Data

Abstract

The Disp method is an algorithm that is used for reconstruction of primary gamma ray direction in ground- based atmospheric Cherenkov telescope experiments -measuring very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays in the energy range between 100GeV and 30 TeV. In general terms, the geometric information obtained from one single shower image is sufficient for the algorithm to find the sky location of the primary. Various versions of the Disp method were implemented and used in the past. In this study, we present a multi-dimensional implementation of the Disp method for the VERITAS instrument and show (using Monte Carlo simulations and the Crab Nebula observations) that it significantly improves the angular resolution for large-zenith-angle (LZA) observations. We also applied the disp method to VERITAS data taken from the galactic center region which is detected by VERITAS.